"That smile... If you told me she wasn't the villain, I wouldn't believe you..."
In the live stream, Little Bear watched Lumina's villainous grin, his lips twitching.
Good grief, she's not even pretending, is she?
[Even though her basic attack power is lacking, her Story Intensity is top-tier!]
[On the day Lumina was introduced, the Planner asked her: "Do you want the Story Intensity on my left or the Reality Intensity on my right?" Lumina ultimately chose the Story Intensity on the left.]
[Um... guys, is it possible the Planner still has a Boss Intensity card up his sleeve?]
[Great, we're doomed against Lumina!]
[You little punks, what nonsense are you spouting? If we work together, what's so scary about Lumina? I'll be the first to defect to her side!]
[Stop whining about Lumina and focus on leveling up already...]
[Stuck on the level requirement again!]
After completing the mission, Little Bear glared at the task list, where quests were locked behind level requirements, and growled through gritted teeth.
"I don't mind being stuck on level requirements for now, but don't you dare lock the story on me!"
(Timeline: The Astral Express Crew interrogates Kafka at the Divination Commission → The Ambrosial Arbor erupts → Dan Heng's group finds Xueyi → The Astral Express Crew, the Divination Commission, Jing Yuan, and Fu Xuan discuss a plan. Simultaneously, Dan Heng leaves the Artisanship Commission → The Astral Express Crew arrives at the Artisanship Commission and confronts the Deer.)
(Honestly, this timeline is a bit strange. Let's just stick with it.)
"This is the Ambrosial Arbor of Luofu..." Sushang murmured, gazing at the Plague of Longevity before her, her voice tinged with awe. "It's my first time seeing it."
Luocha's eyes flickered as he observed the Ambrosial Arbor, his expression unreadable. "I heard the Ambrosial Arbor had long since withered," he remarked, maintaining a composed demeanor. "How did it suddenly revive and spread?"
"Naturally, it's the Stellaron's influence," Lumina replied, glancing at Luocha and noting his seemingly genuine bewilderment. "Someone introduced a Stellaron into the Ambrosial Arbor's Grotto-Heaven, stimulating its growth."
A wide smile spread across Lumina's face, as if the Ambrosial Arbor's resurgence filled her with exhilaration.
["In all your years of medical practice across these Amber Eras, you haven't secretly studied with the Masked Fools, have you?"]
["If I didn't know you were acting, I'd almost suspect you were genuinely interested in the Ambrosial Arbor..."]
Watching Lumina's performance, the System began to wonder if she might actually be one of the Masked Fools.
"Did I ever say I was acting?" Lumina countered gently, a faint smile gracing her lips as she read the System's messages.
[...]
The System fell silent.
After a moment, it cautiously inquired:
["You... you're not actually interested in the Ambrosial Arbor, are you?"]
A fervent glint flashed in Lumina's eyes.
"This is a divine miracle of Abundance..." she exclaimed, her voice brimming with intensity. "How could I not be interested?"
"This is a gift bestowed by Yaoshi herself..." she added, the fire in her eyes burning brighter. "How could I not be interested?"
Lumina's soul-stirring questions left the System speechless, the flames in her gaze growing ever more intense.
["You..."]
Seeing Lumina's utterly genuine expression, the System was instantly dumbfounded.
[Wait, aren't you the selfless Saintess, devoid of worldly desires and selflessly devoted to others? Why would you be interested in something like this?!]
[ Pfft! ] Having witnessed the System's inner turmoil, Lumina burst into laughter on the spot.
The others stared in confusion.
Lumina's laughter was beautiful, like a breathtaking vista. Normally, it would have filled everyone with a sense of profound peace. But her sudden burst of laughter while gazing at the Ambrosial Arbor only deepened their bewilderment.
"It's nothing," Lumina said calmly, unfazed by their stares. "I just remembered something amusing." She shook her head, neither blushing nor flustered.
Luocha remained unperturbed, merely chuckling softly before turning his attention elsewhere.
Dan Heng and Xueyi, however, lingered their gazes on Lumina for a moment longer before finally looking away.
As for Sushang... she glanced at Lumina in puzzlement, then found herself smiling uncontrollably at the radiant smile on her face.
"Pfft... Hahaha!"
"?"
Sushang's sudden burst of laughter drew the attention of everyone present, including Lumina.
"Uh... never mind," Sushang stammered, her face flushing crimson under their gazes. Lacking Lumina's thick skin, she grew increasingly embarrassed. "I just remembered something funny."
Recalling Lumina's earlier explanation, Sushang gave an awkward smile and blurted out, "So... this whole world is one giant March 7th?"
Observing Sushang's dazed expression, Lumina seemed to grasp something. If this world is March 7th, then so be it. At least March 7th is cute...
Lumina's gaze settled on Xueyi and Sushang. "Though it's sudden," she announced, "I'll be parting ways with you here."
Xueyi: ...
Xueyi's eyes narrowed instantly at those words, but she quickly composed herself. A suspected Emanator of Abundance had just finished examining the Ambrosial Arbor and was now proposing to act alone. It was hard not to jump to certain conclusions...
Could Lumina have some ulterior motive regarding the Ambrosial Arbor...?
"Rest assured," Lumina said, sensing Xueyi's suspicion. "I'm leaving to go to the Seat of Divine Foresight in the Exalting Sanctum. I have an important matter to discuss with Jing Yuan."
Seeing the wariness on Xueyi's face, Lumina offered a reassuring smile and explained herself.
"..."
"Go then..."
After a moment of silence, Xueyi reluctantly agreed to Lumina's request. Even if Lumina wasn't an Emanator, her strength was likely comparable. Neither Xueyi nor the seemingly naive Cloud Knight could possibly stop her.
If Xueyi were alone, she would have fought tooth and nail to prevent Lumina from approaching the Ambrosial Arbor. But with Sushang present, Xueyi couldn't risk unnecessary casualties and had to concede, allowing Lumina to proceed alone.
"Don't worry," Lumina assured her. "I have absolutely no interest in the Ambrosial Arbor."
To dispel any wild thoughts, Lumina offered a brief explanation before turning to leave.
"Farewell! I hope our next encounter will be..."
As her words trailed off, Lumina's figure vanished from their sight.